Sunday, 23 May 2010

I apologise if the colour of this text isn't right but I'm sitting in the blazing sun still nursing my possibly broken ribs! At least I've found a bra loose enough round the back to wear. Am thinking about going to the GP's to get another sick note. The one I was given at the hospital takes me up to Wednesday and I'm day off on Friday anyway so I'll only be in for two days and I could do with another week for these ribs to settle at least. They're not going to be very happy with me at work but it's better than dragging myself in in pain and thedn having to do the long journey back again. The journey would be enough to make it feel worse!I am wearing the splint just at night now and it has kept the pins and needles away that I get at night with my carpal tunnel syndrome exept for last night. I probably didn't tighten it up enough. I bought another splint from Amazon so nI can wash the other and I think I'mm have to wear it to work in.I wet in to town on Friday to get some more things for his rebirthday which is today. It's 9 years since his heart attack and we celebrate it each year. This year being his 9th I got him a 9th birthday card and a lego alien! Anyway after my shopping we went for a Thai meal and my ribs really suffered!

We're off out tonight to celebrate Gray's 9th for a balti at one of our local balti houses Varsha.

On Tuesday it's his real birthday. Gray is at work on Tuesday and so would I be if I wasn't off sick. We're going for another celebratory meal at our local Italian restaurant La Nonna.

Thursday, 20 May 2010

Well as if I haven't had enough problems I've now got another!

On Sunday we went to Leicester to watch Leicester Tigers beat Bath to get a place in the final at Twickenham. On our way back to the station walking along the path with the crowd of fans I tripped on a kerb. There I go again! I hurt my hand quite badly and managed to lacerate it. And of course it was the side I've had the lymph nodes out which puts me at risk of lymphodoema. We were debating whether to have it looked at because of my osteoporosis. So we we visited the A&E department at our local hospital Heartlands on the way home. I don't really like going to that hospital because it's where my Dad died but we don't know of any other A&E's round here.

We were in A&E for four hours! Apparantly the government guidelines say a patient should be seen within four hours! Because of my osteoporosis they x-rayed it and the doctor said it wasn't broken but I had " funny looking carpals " and asked me if I'd ever broken it which I hadn't. Although I have broken my other wrist. He gave me a splint to wear and said he wanted me to see a hand surgeon in the fracture clinic on Tuesday. He passed me on to a nurse to have my wound cleaned and dressed and I booked the fracture clinic on the way out. They couldn't get me in on Tuesday, they were fully booked so they booked me in on Wednesday. I found the splint a great help with the pain but it did tend to rub a bit on my cut. He told me to stay off work at least a week and that they would give me a sick note. Oh he also said I hadn't actually broken it.

On Wednesday I went off to the fracture clinic with my splint on. It was quite a warm day but I had to wear my winter coat because I couldn't get my other one on as I had to bend my wrist to get it on and it was too painful. I waited one hour after my appointment time until I was seen which was quite good really as I was once kept waiting nearly four hours for one of my oncology appointments! They apologised profusely for the wait bless them. The doc said I hadn't broken it but I had a displaced carpus bone which he showed me on the x-ray. ( I think they have digital x-rays like we've got at work!) He said it hadn't been done when I had the fall it was work related. I said I'd had pins and needles in my hand at night but I hadn't had them while I'd wearing the splint and whether I'd got carpal Tunnel Syndrome. He said yes I had and I should wear the splint when I was in pain and at night. He also gave me a sick note for another week as he was worried about the cut on my hand getting infected in my job as a dental hygienist. When I got home I phoned work to tell them and my manageress/friend asked what was I going to do about my job and didn't I think my hands were trying to tell me something? I said I'll just have to see how I get on and that I'd just have to wear my splint while working if needs be. Gray took me out for a balti in the evening to cheer me up.The photo above shows the splint in action. The nurse at A&E asked me to take my rings off as my hand was swelling up and they didn't want to have to cut them off!

Saturday, 15 May 2010

3 days ago I went for my first appointment with the breast surgeon to discuss my risk reducing surgery as they call it. As she described the risk reduction and the surgery I kept saying that I knew it already! I said I know what I want and who does it! She seemed very happy with that and asked if it was one of their plastic surgeons I wanted to see and it was. I said if he wont do it because of the radiotherapy I would go to someone else! She still seemed happy about what I was saying. She is going to refer me to the said plastic surgeon and a clinical psychologist. If I don't hear anything within 6 weeks to contact them.I was asked if I'd seen the DVD on reconstruction and as I said no the breast care nurse came in with some booklets and the dvd. I also told them about the wonderful support I'd had from the BRCA sisterhood and gave them the addresses of BRCA Umbrella, FORCE and the BRCA sisterhood group on facebook. They were happy to have them. The breast care nurse was one that looked after me through the breast cancer and it was really good to see her again.

Now my brain is totally taken over by it all I think I'm going insane! Perhaps I need to see that shrink!

Have now managed to sync the camera with Windows 7 but unable to do so with the printer on the new pc! What a pain Windows 7 is, nothing seems to be compatible with it..

So Here's the first picture I wanted to put on of my old friend Jenny who was the cleaner where I work. She worked there about 20 years ago, left and came back a few months ago but has now left again. I took a photo of her just before she left for the second time. I will miss our chats.

About Me

I am a breast cancer survivor and a very lucky person.I have also now found out I have a BRCA2 mutation-not so lucky after all but then perhaps I am!
After being a 2 year survivor I have now been diagnosed with metastic secondary breast cancer and I'm scared stiff.